Rational Suicide in Late Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background and Objectives: The complex concept of rational suicide, defined as a well-thought-out decision to die by an individual who is mentally competent, is even more controversial in the case of older adults. Materials and Methods: With the aim of better understanding the concept of rational suicide in older adults, we performed a systematic review of the literature, searching PubMed and Scopus databases and eventually including 23 published studies. Results: The main related topics emerging from the papers were: depression, self-determination, mental competence; physicians' and population's perspectives; approach to rational suicide; ageism; slippery slope. Conclusions: Despite contrasting positions and inconsistencies of the studies, the need to carefully investigate and address the expression of suicidal thoughts in older adults, as well as behaviours suggesting "silent" suicidal attitudes, clearly emerges, even in those situations where there is no diagnosable mental disorder. While premature conclusions about the "rationality" of patients' decision to die should be avoided, the possibility of rational suicide cannot be precluded

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide to Explain Suicidal Risk in Eating Disorders: A Mini-Review

Suicide is a major cause of death in Eating Disorders (EDs) and particularly in anorexia nervosa (AN). The aim of the present mini-review was to summarize the literature focusing on the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) by Thomas E. Joiner, as applied to explain suicidal risk in EDs. PubMed database was used to search articles focused on IPTS in EDs; 10 studies were eventually included. The majority of the included studies reported data from the same sample, even though the hypotheses and analyses for each study were unique. The investigated suicidal outcomes were suicidal ideation (SI) (40%), non-suicidal self-injury (10%), suicide attempt (40%) and suicide (10%). In ED patients Perceived Burdensomeness (PB) may play an important role, especially regarding SI risk. ED patients may feel like a burden to their close ones, and actually some of the ED symptoms may be an expression of anger and hate against the self. Overall, currently available research has supported some IPTS derived predictions (i.e., ED symptoms may increase PB and thereby SI), but not others (i.e., the elevated suicide rate in AN may be due to higher acquired capability for suicide). Further research on IPTS tenets as well as on other theoretical perspectives and constructs (e.g., interoceptive awareness), hopefully with a longitudinal design and adequate follow-up duration, might allow a more thorough understanding of the complex topic of suicidal behavior in ED patients

Ultrafast evolution of the complex dielectric function of monolayer WS₂ after photoexcitation

Transition metal dichalcogenides emerged as ideal materials for the investigation of exciton physics. Retrieving the excitonic signature in optical spectra, and tracking their time evolution upon photoexcitation requires appropriate analysis procedures, particularly when comparing different measurements, experimental techniques, samples, and substrates. In this work, we investigate the ultrafast time evolution of the exciton resonance of a monolayer of WS2 deposited on fused silica and Si/SiO2, and using two different measurement techniques: time-resolved reflectance and transmittance contrast. By modelling the dielectric function of the exciton with a Lorentz oscillator, using a Fresnell equations formalism, we derive analytical expressions of the exciton lineshape in both cases. The 2D linearized model introduced by Li et al. [Y. Li and T. F. Heinz, 2D Mater., 2018, 5, 025021] is used for the transmittance of the transparent substrate and a Fresnel transfer matrix method [O. Stenzel, The Physics of Thin Film Optical Spectra, Springer Series in Surface Science, 2016] is used to derive the reflectance in the case of the layered Si/SiO2 substrate. By fitting two models to the time-dependent optical spectra, we extract and quantify the time evolution of the parameter describing the excitonic resonance. We find a remarkable agreement between the extracted dynamics from both experiments despite the different side conditions, showing the equivalence and reliability of the two analysis methods in use. With this work, we pave the way to the resilient comparison of the exciton dynamics from different samples, measurements technique and substrates

3D CFD Simulation of a New Ventilated Roof

In the last decades, energy management and saving have become challenging issues. Considering the building sector (residential or industrial), different technologies have been developed in order to realize tangible energy savings, such as: ventilated roof, double facades, glazed surfaces, etc. Nonetheless, it is important for these new technologies to contemporary assure the human thermal comfort. Passive cooling (or heating) technologies are of actual interest. Low or near-zero energy buildings can only be realized as a result of the good design of all their components; specifically, the roofs call for particular attention as they take large parts of a building’s total surface area. This paper presents a comparison between an innovative ventilated roof, based on an original design of the support and a traditional one. A 3D numerical model is developed to analyze the air flow and to compute the achievable benefits in terms of reduction of the summer heating gains. The simulations were performed by varying the solar irradiance from 600 to 1000 W m2. The investigation is conducted comparing a ventilated roof assembly to the same traditional structure, assuming buoyancy-driven airflow. Two roof types are studied: an insulated roof and a non-insulated one. The results reveal that the ventilated roof leads to a great reduction of the total amount of solar heat gains for all the simulated scenarios

NCAM1, TACR1 and NOS Genes and Temperament: A Study on Suicide Attempters and Controls

Suicide, one of the leading causes of death among young adults, seems to be plausibly modulated by both genetic and personality factors. The aim of this study was to dissect the potential association between genetics and temperament in a sample of 111 suicide attempters and 289 healthy controls. We focused on 4 genes previously investigated in association with suicide on the same sample: the nitric oxide synthase 1 and 3 (NOS1 and NOS3), the neuronal cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1), and the tachykinin receptor 1 (TACR1) genes. In particular, we investigated whether a set of genetic variants in these genes (NOS1 : rs2682826, rs1353939, rs693534; NOS3 : rs2070744, rs1799983, rs891512; NCAM1 : rs2301228, rs1884, rs1245113, rs1369816, rs2196456, rs584427; TACR1 : rs3771810, rs3771825, rs726506, rs1477157) were associated with temperamental traits at the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). No strong evidence was found for the association between TCI personality traits and the polymorphisms considered in the 4 genes, with the exception of an association between reward dependence trait and the rs2682826 SNP in NOS1 in the healthy sample. However, this result could be plausibly interpreted as a false-positive finding. In conclusion, our study did not support the thesis of a direct modulation of these genes on temperament; however, further studies on larger samples are clearly required in order to confirm our preliminary findings and to exclude any possible minor influence. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

La scissione societaria quale strumento di risoluzione dei contrasti tra i soci. Il caso di una scissione non proporzionale di S.n.c.

L'elaborato tratta il tema della scissione societaria, vista prima a livello teorico generale, delineandone i tratti principali sia dal punto di vista civilistico che da quello fiscale e dichiarativo. Nella parte successiva si analizza il caso specifico di una scissione totale non proporzionale di una società in nome collettivo motivata da ragioni interne, ovvero il sorgere di dissidi insanabili fra i soci titolari dell'impresa

Tyrosine Hydroxylase and DOPA Decarboxylase Gene Variants in Personality Traits

Personality influences several characteristics of normal and pathologic behaviors and it is associated with neurotransmitter systems that are under genetic control. The dopaminergic system has been proposed to play a role in the modulation of personality traits. In the present study, variants of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) genes (for TH: rs3842727, rs6356; for DDC: rs1451371, rs1470750, rs998850) were investigated in 111 suicide attempters and 289 healthy subjects to assess the involvement of the dopaminergic synthesis pathway in personality traits. No strong evidence was found for the associations between personality and TH or DDC in overall tests. An interaction effect of genotype and diagnosis was present, with TH and DDC SNPs having a greater effect on the respective personality dimensions in the group of suicide attempters. Because of the risk of false positives, these findings should be interpreted with highest caution. Direct replication attempts within independent groups of suicide attempters will help to resolve this question. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base

Subversion of Host Innate Immunity by Human Papillomavirus Oncoproteins

The growth of human papillomavirus (HPV)-transformed cells depends on the ability of the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7, especially those from high-risk HPV16/18, to manipulate the signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, cell death, and innate immunity. Emerging evidence indicates that E6/E7 inhibition reactivates the host innate immune response, reversing what until then was an unresponsive cellular state suitable for viral persistence and tumorigenesis. Given that the disruption of distinct mechanisms of immune evasion is an attractive strategy for cancer therapy, the race is on to gain a better understanding of E6/E7-induced immune escape and cancer progression. Here, we review recent literature on the interplay between E6/E7 and the innate immune signaling pathways cGAS/STING/TBK1, RIG-I/MAVS/TBK1, and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The overall emerging picture is that E6 and E7 have evolved broad-spectrum mechanisms allowing for the simultaneous depletion of multiple rather than single innate immunity effectors. The cGAS/STING/TBK1 pathway appears to be the most heavily impacted, whereas the RIG-I/MAVS/TBK1, still partially functional in HPV-transformed cells, can be activated by the powerful RIG-I agonist M8, triggering the massive production of type I and III interferons (IFNs), which potentiates chemotherapy-mediated cell killing. Overall, the identification of novel therapeutic targets to restore the innate immune response in HPV-transformed cells could transform the way HPV-associated cancers are treated